Knights of Nocturna
by SalohcinSilverwing
Summary: Goth and Phoenix return to rebuild their kingdom and enslave all bats. They even have children. I suggest you read up to Firewing in order to understand it. The more reviews, the more chapters. Rated T for violence.
1. Prologue

Knights of Nocturna

**Well, after long thought I am finally posting my second fan-fiction. This story will have more chapters than the last, so this first one may seem short. This first chapter is more of a prologue, and will provide more insight for the oncoming chapters. Enjoy.**

New beginnings have finally risen from the thick ashes of the jungle.

Goth and Phoenix both returned to their homeland. Instantly, they noticed that not a single Vampyrum was in sight.

Over the course of their short journey, Goth had grown fonder of Phoenix. Now that she was not torturing him, Goth could see how strong, clever, and adapt as she was. He had never seen any other Vampyrum as… stunning as she was.

"What are you staring at?" Phoenix demanded as she saw Goth glaring at her as they hunted together.

"Oh… nothing," Goth replied as he avoided her gaze, searching for prey. Goth didn't feel like confessing his true feelings towards Phoenix. At least, not yet.

Goth and Phoenix returned to the remains of the Pyramid. Now it was only rubble, thanks to Shade.

"What will we do now that the pyramid is gone?" Phoenix asked.

"We will search the entire jungle. We can't be the only ones left."

"That, King Goth, is most certainly true." An old and raspy voice replied from beyond some dark trees. Goth instantly recognized that voice.

Voxzaco glided from the tree to where Goth and Phoenix roosted.

"How can you be alive, Voxzaco?" Goth demanded in an orderly, but stunned, voice.

"By the will of Zotz was I able to survive. He has also fore-told your coming. I was also able to save more."

"How many?" Goth asked.

"Over two-hundred. And even more are approaching. I have sent word to our Vampyrum cousins, and they should arrive within a few weeks."

Goth and Phoenix barred their teeth into a wicked smile.

"Excellent."

**Ok, I know some of you will think this is chapter is lame, but that was only the beginning. More exciting chapters are coming soon.**


	2. New Order

It has been about two years since Goth and Phoenix returned to their homeland, and much has changed.

When they arrived, the jungle was only a smoothing pile of rubble and ash with only a wing-full of survivors. Now, King Goth's numbers have risen to about 25,000. His cousins from the distant jungles have come to their aid.

With Phoenix ruling at his side as Queen, Goth realized that his army was invincible.

When Voxzaco died recently, Goth appointed a new High Priest named Chernabog, a distant cousin of Goth's who has seen Zotz in nearly all of his dreams.

Goth had even taken his power a step further and traveled to the northern forests. There, his armies fought a giant battle with the owls. His army was responsible for wiping out every last owl species, and to make things worse, they stole their precious fire.

With the owls gone, Goth's evil armies stormed into every puny northern bat colony. Long-ears, Brightwings, Free-tails, Greywings; every colony was brought back to the jungle to be forced to rebuild the Vampyrum empire. All, except the Silverwings.

King Goth ordered that all Silverwings were to be killed on sight, to finally settle the score with that puny trickster Shade. Goth even burned down the Silverwing roost himself. He could see why the owls treasured their precious fire so much; so much destruction even from one burning twig.

Now the northern bats work as slaves to the mighty Vampyrum race. They are divided into two different labors: to either rebuild the Vampyrum pyramid, or to dig a gigantic hole into the underworld, where the armies of Zotz will merge with theirs, and finally kill the sun.

To expand the Royal Family, Phoenix gave birth to twins about one and a half years ago. Their names were Herra and Hades.

Herra was the youngest of the twins, and was very clever. Almost all her life, Herra spent trying to be as wickedly smart as she could. Of course, she has learned much about hunting from her parents, but prefers to use her intelligence rather than her brute strength. She spent much time with the Temple Elders, learning all about the constellations, the history of her family, herbal remedies and poisons, and, of course, all she could learn about Zotz.

Hades was older then his sister by five seconds, and never let her forget it. Since Hades was older, he was next in line for title of King. Hades was very strong. Almost all his life, Hades spent trying to be as best a warrior he could be. As prince of the Vampyrum Spectrum, he had to set an example to his people. Hades loved to spend time with the strongest guards and warriors, learning all about flight strategies, how to brutally kill his prey, the weaknesses and strengths of his body, and, of course, all he could learn about Zotz.

Herra and Hades spent much time together, being as close as brother and sister can be. They each hope to follow in their parents' wing-beats and rule with iron wings, side by side.

Goth and Phoenix had both seen how determined their children were to rule long after they have each died for the second time. Nothing could ever stop their mighty kingdom.

Right?

**Another cliff-hanger, huh? I suppose you all think that I hate Shade and the Silverwings, but I consider Shade my favorite character. I just wanted to try a story from the Vampyrum point of view. Another chapter coming soon, and I'm confident that the next one will explain more about the title.**


	3. Rebbelion

**Thank you for your patience. After nine days, I'm finally ready to start on chapter three. In this chapter, more characters are introduced, the plot becomes thicker, and you will find out the significance of the title. I have to warn you, this is where it gets a little messy.**

It all seemed like it had happened like it was only yesterday. Griffin remembered that horrible, haunting night. He remembered it so well, because he saw it with his own eyes.

Almost two years had passed since Griffin last saw his family. He was out in the forest with Luna. They had just finished telling their story about the Underground for what seemed like the thousandth time. The two went out to hunt, and to get a little alone time from their story-telling. Griffin was feeding on caterpillars at his favorite sugar maple. (Even Luna was starting to find an appetite for them) He could also tell that he was no longer worrying about everything and everyone, and started to enjoy life more. Everything was back to the way Griffin wanted it. That was, until, a few days later.

Griffin was awoken by his mother's desperate cries.

"_Wake up Griffin. Fly out of here! Now!"_

Griffin obeyed without a second's hesitation to see what all the panic was about. He saw hundreds of tiny flickering lights close in the sky. At first, Griffin thought it was stars, but they were sticks of fire. _Stolen_ fire.

At first, Griffin thought that the owls were attacking, but he instantly changed his mind when he saw dark, giant bat wings attached to the burning sticks.

Within seconds, the forest was filled with franticly flapping wings. And not just Silverwing wings, but also dark, murderous cannibal wings. In a frenzy, Griffin saw the Vampyrum Spectrum assault his colony. Claws thrashed, blood was spilled, and heads and wings were sunk into with giant, blood-thirsty teeth. The Vampyrum were eliminating Griffin's colony.

First, he saw his uncle Chinook, fighting valiantly for his life. Struck down in the back by a Vampyrum claw.

Next were Griffin's grandparents, Ariel and Cassiel. They tried their best to escape the chaotic battle, but they were burned alive by the Vampyrum fire.

Griffin searched franticly for his mother Marina, when he saw her trying to get Luna to safety.

_"Find a place to hide, you two. And whatever you do, don't come back for me!"_

These were that last words Griffin ever heard his mother say. He saw helplessly as Goth, the new king of the Vampyrum, dive onto Marina and bite her head off right in front of Griffin's eyes.

He couldn't wait any longer. Griffin and Luna flew out of the forest in hopes to find a hiding place. He could see Goth right on their trail, hungry for Griffin's blood.

Griffin and Luna flapped with all their strength, but Goth was catching up on them. But suddenly, as if by some supernatural force, they both lost control of their bodies. They involuntarily flew back to the tree, and hid in a giant knothole close to Tree Haven. Goth could pursue them no longer, because the air was filled with smoke.

Griffin and Luna passed out, and in a few hours, Tree Haven was nothing but a pile of ash. When they regained consciousness, they searched the charred forest for any survivors. No one answered back. Griffin finally realized that his entire colony was dead. He and Luna were the last remaining Silverwings.

Now, two years later, Griffin and Luna have traveled to the jungle to seek help. With no home left to go, they have searched for survivors and, over time, forged into a small band of refugees. A rebellion whose soul purpose is to overthrow the Vampyrum rule, free all northern bats, and thrive for freedom once again.

Griffin and Luna have created the Knights of Nocturna.


	4. Sibling Rivalry

**Here it is, the long awaited Chapter four of Knights of Nocturna. Thank you for the reviews and I tried to follow your advice as best as I could. And if you see this: **, **that means that a point of view has been changed. Enjoy.**

In the dense trees of the colorful jungle, Herra was in full pursuit. A few wingbeats away was a large white beetle with transparent wings, trying it's best to stay away from her. Herra was a fair flyer, but not that experienced. Usually, whenever she hunts with her brother Hades, he always has to show off his flying formation and taunt Herra about hers. This time, she was hunting alone.

The High Priest, Chernabog, had sent Herra on a special errand to retrieve one of these rare beetles for him. Herra always obeyed what Chernabog asked her. He was like an uncle to her. The only people she obeyed more were her mother, her father, and Zotz.

Herra was closing in on the beetle when, all of a sudden, something swooped out of the sky, and Herra's prey was gone. Up ahead, she could see whoever stole it. Sure enough, it was her brother, Hades.

Hades started laughing at Herra, with the beetle struggling between his rear claws.

"Hey, give that back!" Herra yelled as her brother flew out of her reach.

"Too slow, sister. You need to take it from me if you want it." Hades did a small flip, still holding close to the beetle.

"That beetle is for Chernabog! Give it back!"

"Why would he need it? He can hunt for himself."

"He doesn't want it to eat. Don't you know what that is?" Herra started to sound worried.

"Tasty?" Hades ate the bug in two bites. "Because it is."

Herra groaned at her brother. "That wasn't a very smart move."

"Why?" Hades sounded concerned.

"That bug was a Ghost Beetle. They have a poison in them that paralyzes muscles. You won't be able to move for about a day."

"I think you're just trying to scare me. I fell fine…" But Hades knew Herra was right. His sister is hardly ever wrong. Almost instantly, Hades could feel his muscles getting harder to control as he flew. He tried to roost on the tree Herra was on, but his rear claws couldn't hold on to the bark, so he had to awkwardly lay on the tree on his back, as his muscles started to hurt. Herra started to laugh. Strangely, Hades joined in too.

"I should really listen to you more."

"And maybe you could teach me some of those hunting techniques. I've never seen someone who was able to talk when under the paralyzing poison."

"Well, if I knew that the bug was poisonous, and if Chernabog needed it, I would have let you have it."

Herra leaped off her branch and started to hover. "I'm going back to the pyramid. Shall I send one of the guards to carry you back?"

Hades tried unsuccessfully to move his muscles. "Please."

Goth roosted on a branch next to Phoenix, overlooking the new pyramid. Thousands of tiny northern bats were working on it, as it was nearly complete. It wasn't as crafty as the previous one built by the humans, but Goth liked it better that way.

"Look at them, all those puny bats obeying our will. This is exactly like the dream Zotz gave me, all those years ago. Now, nothing can stop us!"

"What about the rumors of a rebellion?" Phoenix asked Goth.

"Those are just stories of false hope made up by desperate prisoners. Even if there was any thought of rebellion, our armies will crush them to dust with hardly any effort."

Phoenix smiled a wicked smile. "Of course. How could I have been so foolish?"

Hades lied down on a branch close to the pyramid. He was still stiff from the poison, but luckily, it wasn't fatal. The healers gave him some herbs to ease the pain in his muscles as he relaxed. He made a mental note to never eat white beetles again.

Herra pulled up next to Hades.

"How are your muscles?"

"Better. I still can't fly, but I might be able to by sunrise tomorrow."

"That's good." Now Herra's voice sounded more serious. "I had a dream last night."

Hades was intrigued. It wasn't very often his sister or him had a dream. "So did I."

"A double-dream. What was yours like?"

"I spoke to Zotz. You were there too. He had an important message for us."

Herra gasped. She had the exact same dream. "Do you know what this means?"

"Yes," Hades replied. "Zotz has given us a task."

"The old rule is over."

Herra and Hades spoke together: "Now, it is our turn."

**I know, I'm sorry it's short, but I tried to follow everyone's advise as best as I could. Here's the deal. All I'm asking for is at least 5 new reviews before I post the next chapter. It's not very much to ask if you think about it. Please tell me what you think about it.**


	5. A Feast To Remember

**Welcome, Welcome, to Chapter 5 of Knights of Nocturna. I know, I'm sorry it took so long; I had a major case of writer's block. I hope this chapter is good news to those who thought I was abandoning this story. I also noticed that, last chapter I tried to signal a point of view change with asterisks. Apparently, Fan Fiction wouldn't let them turn up. I've tried switching points of view this time with lines, that is, if they show up. If not, I'll keep trying to find something. In the meantime, I'm sure you can notice when a point of view changes. Please review if you would like more on this thrilling tale.**

Shade flew across the twisted trees of the outer jungle. He had witnessed the final hour of his colony. The burning of his colony's roost; the murder of his mate, Marina, his parents Ariel and Cassiel, and every other Silverwing; the struggle of his son, Griffin, and his friend, Luna; but what really tortured him was the fact that Goth was once again among the living, manipulating Vampyrum into satisfying his blood-lust, and all by using the stolen life of his son. It was a miracle that Shade was able to save Luna and Griffin. He realized that, since they both shared Shade's old life, he was able to guide them to safety. Even though Shade was no longer in the living world, he wanted to help Griffin and Luna so bad, but he could tell from Griffin's eyes that he had not left the last Silverwings alone.

Shade beat his luminous wings around as he thought of these horrid memories. He had learned over time that he was able to transform his shapeless mass into the shell of his old body. He liked it much better this way, since he was able to control his spirit better. He had also learned to communicate with other spirits, although Shade didn't recognize any spirits here. He had followed Griffin and Luna to the jungle, where they started their resistance. Shade had never been more proud of them, for he always knew

that they would make great leaders.

It was a momentous occasion in the jungle tonight. This night marked the night that the new pyramid was finally completed. The forced labor of thousands of Northern Bats, the Vampyrum Pyramid, towered over the jungle. The edges were lined with torches of fire, the same fire that the Vampyrum stole from the now extinct owls.

Tonight, a gigantic feast was held in honor of the new pyramid. Goth and his family roosted on the highest branch of the Feast Tree, which was lined with many different assortments of animals and fruit, for the few that liked them. It was customary for every Vampyrum to hunt and kill as much prey as they could find, and set it on the Feast Tree, to be eaten during the feast, which started at the second of midnight.

All of Goth's loyal subjects waited patiently on the lower branches of the Feasting Tree, many with very hungry mouths. The astronomers looked up at the starry sky, waiting for the constellations to signal the approach of midnight. But before the feast could begin, the King and Queen had to each perform a sacrifice.

Griffin and Luna crept very quietly along the jungle floor. They knew that the Vampyrum were holding a special feast tonight, which meant a perfect opportunity to rescue some prisoners.

They crawled silently to the giant stone rooms where the Northern Bats were kept. There were many of these building all around the jungle; more than Griffin could count. He carefully flew up to the closest one. Luckily, no guards were surrounding this one. _They must be filling their stomachs with more of my Northern cousins_ Griffin thought in a very bitter tone.

Griffin and Luna made their way through the narrow entrance. Luckily, no guards were inside, too. With a quick sweep with his echo-vision, Griffin scanned the vast room. Nothing but stone walls bounced back.

In a disappointed tone, he started to head back to the hideout, when suddenly; Luna stopped Griffin from taking off. "I think I see someone." Luna whispered as she pointed to the farthest corner.

Griffin moved to the dark corner to find a lump of fur, sitting in the corner. It slowly moved up and down in a rhythmic pattern. A closer look showed leathery wings. _There_ is _someone here_ Griffin thought joyfully as he carefully waked the sleepy bat up.

It started to let out a shriek, but Griffin and Luna quickly silenced it. "We're here to help you," Luna said in a calming sort of tone. "Don't be afraid."

With effort, they slowly lifted the bat up and out of the dark room, and into the thick jungle leaves. A closer look showed this bat to be a male, and a Longtail bat. After he was brought out of the stone room, his eyes were wide with curiosity as he scanned the jungles, and the faces of his rescuers.

Suddenly, the Longtail started to shiver and mumble to himself. "What do you thinks' wrong with him?" Griffin asked Luna.

"Terrible things must have happened in that room. He's lucky to be alive."

Griffin looked down at the Longtail. He was still mumbling. "What happened to all the others?" Griffin asked him. The Longtail stared at Griffin with his big eyes.

"Everyone…. Gone. Taken, for their _barbaric_ feast."

Suddenly, Luna was afraid that they would be spotted. "Can you fly?" The Longtail shook his head.

The three started to lift from the ground. The Longtail started to struggle at first; as if he hadn't flown for years.

"What's your name?" Griffin asked, as he started to get the hang of flying again.

The Longtail no longer stuttered and started to fly straight. "Caliban Longtail… at your service."

Goth and Phoenix prepared themselves by the new Stone Table, as they waited for the guards to bring in the sacrifices. As they were about to sink their teeth in, and rip out their hearts, Herra and Hades stepped out of their parents' ways.

With them off guard, Herra and Hades grabbed their parents into a lock, trapping them, and pushed them onto the huge Stone. They were too stunned to struggle as their children each lifted one of their wings, each showing a sharply-trimmed claw.

"I'm sorry." Herra and Hades each said their last words to their parents as their claws came down on the heads of the king and queen. Both siblings shed a tear of symathy, as the motionless bodies of their parents lay still on the great Stone Rock.


	6. Aftermath

**Wow, it's been a while since I touched at this story. I know I prolonged my cliffhanger for far too long, so I'm pretty overdue for a new chapter. I think this chapter may be a lot more violent, though. You've been warned**

Utter chaos erupted from the Vampyrum pyramid. Thousands of Vampyrum flew threw the air in utter terror as the dead bodies of King Goth and Queen Phoenix lay at the sacrifice stone. Blood ran through the stone, turning it into a crimson disc of chaos. Hades and Herra were motionless on top of the stone; their eyes wide in a mixture of fear, shock, and suspense. Their bodies were as motionless as their dead parents, but they were still very much alive.

The only bat that was not in a frenzy was Chernabog, the high priest. His head was bowed low to the ground; his dark eyes aimed at Herra and Hades. He lifted his wings high in the air and said in a deep, powerful voice, "All hail the new King and Queen!"

As soon as Chernabog shouted out, Herra and Hades snapped out of their shocked states. They stared at the pandemonium of thousands of Vampyrum flying over their heads in shock and horror. Apparently, the twins were the only ones who heard the high priest. Slowly, they raised their wings solemnly and crossed them together. They lifted their heads at their subjects, who were still flying around the air in horror. They stood and watched the pure horror, and they could not help but smile at their accomplishment.

Close to the Pyramid's pandemonium, a small bat flew away in a flash. He was heading towards the remains of the human statue far on the outskirts of the jungle. Sweat poured from the little bat's body as he hurried through the entrance. He flew through the tunnels underground the statue, reaching to the entrance to the Knights of Nocturna.

Deep below the broken down, moss-ridden, vine-invaded statue was an extremely elaborate route of underground tunnels. Each tunnel was part of a gigantic labyrinth. Some of the tunnels were roosts for the Knights, others were for storing food, but most all of the tunnels were dead ends, many covered in booby traps. The entire place was underground because it was much cooler than the blazing heat of the jungle. No Vampyrum knew about this place, much less the way into the center of the maze. In the very center was a large dome-shaped underground room, very similar to an echo-chamber, except it was much larger and the walls were not polished. This was the headquarters for the Knights of Nocturna.

The bat that was hurrying to the headquarters was a Brightwing. He was one of the Scouts, and his name was Hermes.

Hermes flew as fast as his brightly-colored wings could propel him. He had to reach the center of the maze; he had to tell the Knights the news.



Far below the mortal world, in the very outskirts of the underworld, two new arrivals were beginning to regain consciousness. They shook themselves awake as they look around. Goth and Phoenix were once again in the Underworld.

Goth felt a sharp pain in his neck, but after a few minutes, it seemed to go away. But when he touched his neck, he was shocked to find a large scar all around his neck, driven deep by a claw. The claw of his own son!

"Have you figured it out yet?" said Phoenix as she stood up. Goth could see the same mark on her neck, too.

"Yes…" said Goth; the shock slowly starting to go away. "I remember…"

Phoenix stretched her wings and looked around. "I knew what was going to happen." And as soon as she finished her last sentence, images instantly filled Goth's head: the large stone disc, the feast, his millions of subjects, every one of them had faces filled with horror; but what he saw the clearest was his son Hades, his wing wrapped around Goth's neck with tears in his eyes as he drew up his claw and said those last two words that he will never forget: _I'm sorry._

Instantly, anger began to fill Goth's body. "We have been murdered!" He lunged at the empty stone walls next to him. He slashed at them with his claws, bit and sliced at them with his teeth in a fit of rage, but not even a scratched. "I have been tricked back into this hellish nightmare!"

Phoenix simply stood there and laughed.

Goth turned his head at the mocking laughter as he swooped down onto his mate. "What is so funny?!" the fire in his eyes would have made anyone tremble; anyone but Phoenix.

"This was all planned out." Phoenix said in a calm voice to Goth, as if talking to a newborn. "I was given a dream from Zotz. He told me that at the feast, Herra and Hades would do whatever it takes to inherit the throne from us. He said our reign was over, and that we have a new purpose in the Underworld."

Goth's anger started to subside, but he was still mad. "Why wasn't I told about this?" he asked his mate through clenched teeth.

"Because," Phoenix replied, "he knew that you would be acting the same way that you are now. You would have thrown a fit of rage and ruined the plan." Goth had no choice but to agree to that statement.

Goth tried to calm down. "Then what is our purpose back in this prison?"



Phoenix smiled her evil grin. "Come with me; I'll show you." She flew straight down a dark tunnel. Goth hesitated, but he finally followed Phoenix as he began to free fall farther into the depths of the underworld.

Hermes finally reached the center of the underground maze. Thousands of bats of every species (except Vampyrum, of course) were gathered in the underground dome. In the center stood Griffin and Luna, the two highest-ranking Knights, and the founders of the Knights of Nocturna. Between them stood another bat. Hermes had never seen this one before. He was a Free-tail, and he was much older than most of the Knights. He was bowing his head in front of Griffin and Luna. Hermes instantly recognized what this was: the Knight Initiation Ritual. Hermes knew this ritual well; he became a Knight only about a migration ago, and he remembered how it felt. Thousands of bats staring at him, the enormous pressure followed by a long moment of silence. So silent, Hermes could swear that he could hear spirits.

He dared not to interrupt the ritual with his news. This was very sacred. Hermes silently roosted along with the other Knights and waited patiently.

Griffin and Luna were perched over the Free-tail. Griffin spoke first. "Do you, Caliban, swear to uphold your fellow Knights in joining the quest for freedom?"

Caliban looked up. "I swear it."

Luna spoke next. "Do you, Caliban, swear to fight for your fellow Knights in this, our darkest hour?"

"I swear it."

Griffin and Luna crossed wings over Caliban's head and looked to the thousands of other Knights as their voices said together, "Do you, the Knights of Nocturna, swear to shine your light upon our newest member? To teach him our ways and to accept him as your own?"

The underground instantly lit up with thousands of bat voices all instantaneously replying, "We swear it."

Griffin and Luna raised their wings. "Rise, Caliban. Knight of Nocturna!"

As Caliban rose, cheers erupted as the Knights welcomed their newest brother. And from the invisible spirit world, Shade smiled.

As the rest of the Knights departed and flew into their corridors of roost tunnels, Hermes quickly darted to Griffin and Luna. He was still out of breath. "My lady, my liege, I have important news."



Griffin and Lunas' eyes both lit up in anxiousness. "What is it, Hermes?"

**It sure feels great to finally post another chapter in this story. I hope you like it.**

**PS: I tried to put some horizontal lines in this chapter, but I don't know if it will turn up on FanFiction. So if it still doesn't show, I'm sorry.**


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